Last Saturday, January 19, 2019 Manny Pacquiao proved yet again that he is still capable of competing at an elite level.
At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Pacquiao clearly outworked and outclassed Adrien Broner to retain his WBA Welterweight title. Ignore Broner’s outrageous claims that he won the fight–Pacquiao obviously earned that unanimous decision victory.
It looks as if there is plenty of fight left in the future Hall of Famer even at the age of 40 and with reportedly 400,000 pay-per-view buys this past weekend it seems as though he still draws a crowd.
With no talk of retirement anytime soon we are now left wondering, what’s next for Manny Pacquiao?
Pacquiao is signed with Premier Boxing Champions for at least one more bout, which should make negotiations with several of the top of contenders in the division pretty easy.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Obviously this is the fight that Manny Pacquiao wants. Pacquiao would love a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. as well as the enormous paycheck that would come with it. Mayweather was ringside at the fight on Saturday night, but successfully avoided questioning from Showtime’s Jim Gray.
For Pacquiao to continue performing at an elite level he will need to stay active and at the age of 40, many question if Mayweather will draw this one out for too long.
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II would likely draw just as many boxing fans as the first time around. I think Pacquiao learned from his mistakes in the first fight and would come out a lot more aggressive.
Mayweather doesn’t have the reputation as the best ever for no reason though–one would guess that Mayweather would, like the first fight, use his movement and speed to try and frustrate Pacquiao. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t bet on this being too exciting of a fight.
Shawn Porter
Shawn Porter expressed that he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao. Post-fight Saturday night, he praised Pacquiao’s performance and explained that he looked fast, sharp and hungry.
Shawn Porter is scheduled to fight March 9 to defend his WBC title against Yordenis Ugas. If Porter defeats Ugas, Porter should get his pick between Pacquiao and Thurman.
If Porter-Pacquiao happens, this is a fight boxing fans wouldn’t want to miss. Both men are come-forward fighters that like to apply pressure. Pacquiao’s speed would be his advantage while Porter’s grit and physical strength may give him the upper hand.
Though, I might favor Porter in this potential bout—I wouldn’t be surprised if this fight made it in the Fight of the Year contention.
Danny Garcia
Danny Garcia is set to fight April 20 against Adrian Granados and a win could draw some interest to Garcia vs. Manny Pacquiao.
The former world champion would be a great test for Pacquiao.
Stylistically this would be an interesting fight—Garcia is more of a defensive fighter and likes to attack when his competitors make mistakes, while Pacquiao uses intelligent aggression throughout most of his fights.
Though Garcia is 10 years younger than Pacquiao, this fight is a toss-up for me.
Keith Thurman
Timeline wise, this fight would make a lot of sense for both fighters. Keith Thurman returns to the ring this weekend, January 26.
Thurman takes on Josesito Lopez and though Lopez is tough and Thurman hasn’t fought since early 2017—I imagine this will be a walk in the park for Keith Thurman.
With a win over Lopez, Thurman vs. Pacquiao could easily draw enough attention for a pay-per-view bout. Assuming Thurman proves that he still has “it” Saturday night, he’d apparently be the favorite walking into this fight.
Pacquiao would have to watch out for the power that Keith Thurman possesses.
